Men often load up on the weights when working out. Actually, using less weight and focusing more on the lift is a better approach for arm exercises.

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As a society, we often think of body image as a mostly
female issue perpetuated by fashion magazines and Hollywood stereotypes. But in
recent years, the focus has increasingly shifted toward men’s bodies, too. Male
liposuction procedures are up seven percent from two years ago, high-profile
guys like Charles Barkley and Terry Bradshaw are appearing in weight-loss ads
for diet plans — even scientists are turning their attention to the
male physique. Researchers from the Ohio State University Sports Medicine
Center, for example, surveyed more than 400 male college athletes and found that
one in five believed they weren’t muscular enough. Other researchers, from the
University of California Los Angeles, found that well-muscled young men have
more sex partners than their less-chiseled peers.

The bad news? Muscles don’t just happen overnight. Building
a strong, toned, and, more importantly, healthy body takes hard work,
persistence, and patience. But it can be done.

It turns out that using your head can bring the best results
when working out to build up your biceps: The secret to sculpted arms lies in
self-control, according to Nicki Anderson, a personal trainer in Naperville,
Ill. "You can do all the curls you want, but at the end of the day if
you're not lean, you won't see those sculpted arms," Anderson says.

You need to carefully control your movements, making sure to
maximize each repetition when performing arm exercises. And, as importantly,
you need to control your eating. You'll have to drop your body fat so that
those biceps you've honed through arm exercises will really show.

Arm Exercises: It’s All About the Weight

When performing arm exercises, men often make the mistake of loading up too much weight on the barbell, dumbbells, or weight machine, says Anderson. That can ruin your form — and waste your effort.

"If it's too heavy, you’ll use momentum and recruit other muscles to help," she says. "Just the slightest movement of keeping the elbow more centered can make a biceps curl 30 percent more effective than if you're swinging your arm. Make sure to maintain good form while maxing out the muscle."

As Anderson points out, men who are trying to sculpt their biceps and triceps through arm exercises also need to lose body fat. That means eating right and working out the whole body, since the body doesn't target specific areas for fat loss when you're losing weight. Some healthy diet tips include:

Eat healthy foods. Include plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet, and pick carbohydrates with whole grains over processed grains.

Eat lean. Eat lean meats, such as cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin." Remove the skin from all poultry, and opt for fish two to three times a week.

Anderson recommends performing 8 to 10 repetitions of each arm exercise in a single set, with two or three sets in a workout. Some time-tested arm exercises you can perform include:

Biceps curl. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing out and slightly wider than shoulder's width apart. Raise the dumbbells in an arc, bending the arms at the elbow and bringing the weights up to the front of the shoulders. Lower the weights back down in a controlled motion.

Hammer curls. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your outer thighs. Raise one dumbbell in an arc, as with the biceps curl, but twist the dumbbell so that it faces the front of your shoulder at the end of the movement. Lower the weights back down in a controlled motion. Alternate arms.

Triceps kickback. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and assume a split-stance position with your right leg forward. Lean forward, placing your right hand on your right leg. Place your upper left arm close to your body, and let the forearm hang vertically to the floor. Push the left forearm straight back, straightening your elbow until your arm is straight. Do not let your upper arm move during this motion. Release and allow the forearm to return to vertical in a controlled motion. Switch arms after each set.

Overhead triceps extension. You can perform this standing or sitting on a bench or exercise ball. Hold a dumbbell behind your head with both hands wrapped around the dumbbell handle and your elbows close to your head. Slowly press the dumbbell overhead, extending your arms until they are vertical. Be sure to keep your elbows near your head, to maintain your focus on the triceps. Slowly lower the dumbbell back behind your head in a controlled motion.

Follow these instructions and use your head when building up your arms and you’ll soon see a difference — better definition in your biceps and triceps.

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